1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a medium feed device including a feed pathway, on which a fed medium is sent, and a feed section which sends the fed medium, and having a configuration capable of sending a fed medium of a single sheet shape and a fed medium having a roll shape, and a recording apparatus provided with the medium feed device.
In this application, as the recording apparatus, apparatuses such as an ink jet printer, a wire dot printer, a laser printer, a line printer, a copying machine, a facsimile, and the like shall be included.
2. Related Art
In the past, as shown in JP-A-2002-362804 and JP-A-2002-362805, a printer that is one example of a recording apparatus has been provided with a medium feed device and a recording section. Then, the medium feed device has been provided with a feed pathway, a feed section, and a motor. Also, a rolled paper holder has been provided so as to be able to be attached to and detached from a main body of the medium feed device. Therefore, in a case where it was desired to carry out recording on a rolled paper, recording on the rolled paper could be carried out by attaching the rolled paper holder, in which the rolled paper is set, to the medium feed device.
Incidentally, in the case of carrying out recording on a medium such as a cardboard, consideration is given to detaching the rolled paper holder and then replacing it with a medium support member which guides the medium in a direction inclined with respect to a feed pathway.
Shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B are side views showing an outline of a medium feed device which is considered by the invention. Of these, FIG. 10A shows a state where the rolled paper holder is detached and the medium support member is attached. On the other hand, FIG. 10B shows a state where the medium support member is detached and the rolled paper holder is attached.
As shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, a medium feed device 50 includes a feed roller 52, a hopper 51, a feed pathway 55, a first engaged portion 53, and a second engaged portion 54. Of these, the feed roller 52 is provided so as to be able to send paper set in the hopper 51 to the downstream side in a feed direction. Also, the hopper 51 is provided so as to be able to move toward or away from the feed roller 52. Further, the feed pathway 55 is configured so as to be able to guide the paper to a recording section (not shown) provided at the downstream side in the feed direction. Also, the first engaged portion 53 and the second engaged portion 54 are provided at the back face side of the medium feed device 50. On the other hand, a first engagement portion 57 and a second engagement portion 58 are provided at a medium support member 56. Then, in the case of attaching the medium support member 56 to a main body of the medium feed device, attachment can be performed by making the first engagement portion 57 and the first engaged portion 53 be engaged with each other and making the second engagement portion 58 and the second engaged portion 54 be engaged with each other. Also, detachment can be performed by releasing the engagement.
Also, a press-in portion 60 and a third engagement portion 61 are provided at a rolled paper holder 59. The press-in portion 60 is held so as to be able to rotate with respect to the rolled paper holder 59. Also, the rolled paper holder 59 is constituted so as to be able to hold a rolled paper by pressing the press-in portion 60 into a core of the rolled paper. Also, a configuration is also acceptable in which the rolled paper holder 59 simply supports the inside of the core of the rolled paper. Then, in the case of attaching the rolled paper holder 59 to the main body of the medium feed device, attachment can be performed by making the third engagement portion 61 and the second engaged portion 54 be engaged with each other. Also, detachment can be performed by releasing the engagement.
Then, in a case where the medium support member 56 is attached, after a medium such as cardboard is set at the downstream side in the feed direction at the time of recording, the medium is first sent to the upstream side in the feed direction. Then, the medium such as the cardboard is sent to the upstream side in the feed direction until the downstream end of the medium arrives further at the upstream side in the feed direction than the recording section. Thereafter, consideration is given to making a configuration such that recording is carried out while sending the medium to the downstream side in the feed direction. In such a case, by attaching the medium support member 56, it is possible to reduce the amount, by which the medium such as the cardboard on the back face side of the medium feed device 50 protrudes from the medium feed device 50 to the back face side, compared to a configuration having no medium support member 56.
However, in the case of changing the kind of the sent medium from a medium such as cardboard to a rolled paper, it is necessary to detach the medium support member 56 and then attach the rolled paper holder 59. Therefore, this is inconvenient for a user. Also, there is a possibility that the detached medium support member 56 may be lost.
Similarly, in the case of changing the kind of the sent medium from the rolled paper to the medium such as the cardboard, it is necessary to detach the rolled paper holder 59 and then attach the medium support member 56. Therefore, this is inconvenient for a user. Also, there is a possibility that the detached rolled paper holder 59 may be lost.